


Cullen Positivity Week featuring Hawken

by ChickPea92



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Angst, Arguing, Babies, Cullen Positivity Week, Death, Developing Relationship, Enemies, Established Relationship, F/M, Family, Fluff, Friendship, Grief/Mourning, Hurt, Kirkwall, Kissing, Mild Sexual Content, Rivalry, Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-29
Updated: 2015-07-04
Packaged: 2018-04-06 20:25:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 3,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4235430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChickPea92/pseuds/ChickPea92
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of all my pieces for Cullen Positivity Week which feature Hawken (Hawke x Cullen) at different points in their lives.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> DA2 Cullen

Cullen’s heart sank when he saw the familiar group of misfits enter the Gallows, strutting around like they owned the damn place. Just once he’d like to go a day without seeing that insufferable mage, constantly sauntering over to pester him. He knew Hawke would be trouble the moment he’d heard about her; joining up with mercenaries, bribing anyone and everyone across the city, not to mention her attitude towards templars. When they’d first met he’d hoped they might be allies and make some sort of attempt at bringing peace between the templars and mages in Kirkwall, but, Maker, the sour face she’d given him after their first encounter said otherwise.

Cullen tried to make himself look busy, scanning the Gallows for anyone to order about or discuss some ‘important matters’ with. Unfortunately he was too late, with a groan he watched as Hawke and her companions strolled over in his direction. Naturally she had her smug grin plastered across her face, but something was different this time; she looked far too pleased with herself.

“Hawke, to what do I owe this delight?” He said sneeringly.

 “Your Ser Alrik was working on a plan to turn all mages Tranquil.” She said with a triumphant grin.

He clenched his jaw and felt his fists tighten into balls at his sides; the last thing he needed was Hawke finding out about this.

“I will not ask how you came by the personal effects of a man recently murdered within our own walls.” He wouldn’t be surprised if she’d been involved somehow. “It’s true there has been some discussion of the idea. But as you can see, it has gone no further.”

Cullen prayed she would believe him and ask no further questions.

“You expect us to believe that?”

He turned his attention to the only other mage in Kirkwall that rivalled Hawke in her irritableness.

“Believe what you like, _mage_.”

He focused back on Hawke whose lip was curled up in disgust. Perhaps his tone was slightly unnecessary but Cullen had grown weary of her constant questions; questions she only asked because she wanted to reaffirm her hatred of templars.

“And there’s the Knight-Captain we all love so much.” Hawke snarled. “You’d have every mage hung in this place if you had your way.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Cullen huffed. Although there was certainly one mage he wouldn’t mind being rid of.

“Is it really that ridiculous though? Clearly you _love_ the idea of making us all Tranquil.”

Cullen grit his teeth, struggling to keep quiet. She was provoking him, he knew it, just as she always did, but he would not give in to her petty taunts this time.

“Hawke, please, must we do this every time?” Aveline always seemed to be the only voice of reason within the group. Hawke barked out a laugh.

“Me? I’m not the one locking up mages for merely lifting a finger.” She stepped closer to Cullen, barely a hair’s width between their chests, and looked up at him with a smirk. “Does it pain you to know that I’m out here, running free, and there’s nothing you can do about it?”

He sighed and kept his mouth firmly shut. Hawke was lucky to have bought her way up to Hightown; that and her family name were the only things standing in the way of her and the circle tower.

With a final disgusted look from Hawke she turned to leave, obviously realising she’d be getting no form of reaction from Cullen today, and the others followed swiftly behind her.

“Maker watch over you.” He muttered, watching them walk away, and already dreading their next trip to the Gallows.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DAI Cullen

Cullen could feel her seething from across the war table. He didn’t even know why she was here, she’d already given them what little information she actually had, and surely it was time for her to leave. He looked up and met her icy stare with one just as cold and the grip on the pommel of his sword tightened.

“Commander?” The Inquisitor’s voice jolted him from his trance.

“Uh, yes, I can send my men in the morning.” He glanced back over to Hawke. “Despite the pitiful amount of information we have.”

Hawke scoffed and rolled her eyes.

“You wouldn’t have any information at all if it wasn’t for me, _Commander_.” She snarled.

“I think you’ll find it was Varric who informed us of your whereabouts seeing as you decided to skulk off on your own, unwilling to help anyone else but yourself; as usual.”

He picked up a report to sign off on when she barked a laugh out that echoed throughout the room.

“Yes, always so unwilling to help.” She brought a hand up to her chin, tapping it with a finger, and looked at him in a feigned thoughtfulness. “Tell me, who was it that helped free the mages from the templars ruthless grasp?”

Cullen chucked the report back on the table with a grumble.

“We wouldn’t have had any problems if it weren’t for meddlers like yourself and insane mages blowing up chantries.”

“Ha, yes, because all we mages are so ‘ _insane_ ’, as you so kindly put it.” She squinted at him in thought again and he suddenly felt quite uneasy. “What was it you said again? Mages aren’t…oh what was the word? Can you remind me Knight-Capt – sorry, _Commander_?”

He narrowed his eyes at her, trying to figure out what sort of game she was playing.

“Oh! I remember now! Mages aren’t _people_! Yes, that was it; you said mages aren’t people.” Hawken grinned at him triumphantly and he just gritted his teeth in return. “Are the Inquisition aware of this?”

“I swear to the Maker, Hawke, if you don’t - ”

“Enough! Both of you!”

Both their heads whipped round to the Inquisitor in surprise; he wasn’t normally one to raise his voice.

“Hawke, perhaps it’s best if you wait elsewhere in Skyhold.” He said firmly.

She gave a curt nod and a final glance at Cullen before heading back out of the war room.

“Inquisitor, I – I apologise, I will not let Hawke’s games get the better of me in the future.”

He felt so ashamed of himself. After years of dealing with her taunts and learning to back down for some reason he’d completely given in to her. Perhaps it had been too long since their last encounter.

“I hope your past dealings with her will not affect your duties, Commander.”

“Of course not.” Cullen straightened himself up. “I find her intolerable at best. I shan’t spend any more time with her than need be.”

The Inquisitor nodded in response and dismissed Cullen and his fellow advisors. He immediately made his way to his office, determined to show the Inquisitor that he would not be distracted by some infuriating woman. He reached the top of the steps onto the battlements, so close to the sanctuary of his office, when he heard someone forcibly cough behind him. He closed his eyes and sighed.

“You may fool everyone else but you don’t fool me, templar.”

Cullen turned around after climbing the final step and came face to face with a rather unimpressed Hawke, arms folded across her chest.

“Not now, Hawke, I have work to do.” He said wearily.

“No, we will do this now.” She moved her hands to her hips, nose scrunching up as though there was a bad smell. “I’m sick and tired of walking around here watching everyone treat you like you’re some kind of hero. You’re nothing more than a self-righteous arse.”

Cullen rubbed at his forehead, pressing his fingers hard into the flesh. _Just walk away._

Yet he found himself unable to resist. He took a few steps closer to her and leant down so their faces were merely a few inches apart.

“I’m not the same man I was back then. If you got off your high horse long enough you’d know that!” He shouted in her face.

“You can hardly talk, _Commander_.” She took a few paces back away from him. “How much did you have to lie to get that position? Did you blame it all on poor old Meredith?” She moved to lean over the battlements, shouting to the civilians down below. “Do they know how you wanted to make all mages Tranquil?”

Cullen growled and grasped her wrist in his hand, yanking her towards the nearest abandoned tower. Pulling her in he slammed the door shut behind them and shoved her into the middle of the room.

“How much longer is this going to go on for?! Are you going to berate me every second of every day of your stay here?!” He felt the rage course through his veins, the built-up anger this woman had caused him over the years abruptly spilling out of his mouth. “You are the most infuriating person I have ever met so how about you just stay out of my way!”

Hawke stared at him with an expression he couldn’t quite comprehend and he wondered if his words had finally sunk into that thick skull of hers.

Suddenly her lips were on his, softer than he would have imagined, and for a second his eyes stayed wide open in shock, struggling to process what was actually happening. Her hands came up to the fur of his coat, pulling him down to her, and for some reason Cullen found his body responding in fervour. He backed her up into the wall, one hand grabbing the back of her neck as they kissed frantically, the other instinctively travelling down to her breeches to tug at the ties there.

He was probably making the biggest mistake of his life but, Maker, he couldn’t bring himself to stop.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cullen at work post-Adamant

Cullen sighed.

“Again!” He yelled.

The troops looked at each other, dithering about whilst retrieving their swords and shields from the ground.

“Andraste preserve me; get on with it, men!” Cullen stomped forward and snatched up one of the boy’s shields, thrusting it into his hand with an irritated growl.

They’d been at it all morning and well into the afternoon. After seeing their poor performance at Adamant he was ashamed to call them his troops. They’d allowed the Inquisitor to be in danger; _she_ was gone because they didn’t do more, because _he_ didn’t do more.

“It’s attitudes like that that got your fellow soldiers killed!” He backed away to observe once again. “Go!”

Cullen sighed and shook his head when they both hesitated, almost too scared to attack each other, until finally one swung his sword at the other. His attack was blocked and swiftly countered, whacking him on the side of his arm, clearly unable to lift his shield in time, and straight into his stomach.

“And you’re dead; again!” Cullen had had quite enough, deciding it was time to show them how it was done. “Move!”

The troop who had performed at least half decent stepped to the side, allowing the Commander to take up his position. The already scrawny soldier in front of him looked positively terrified when Cullen grabbed one of the training swords, swinging it proficiently in his hand.

“I want you to block my attacks.” He readied his stance. “Don’t make this more difficult than it needs to be.”

Cullen took a quick swing at the soldier, surprised when he actually blocked it with a clang from his shield. He attacked again, quicker this time, and caught the side of his waist.

“You need to move faster!” Again, another hit on the other side of his waist. “I said. Faster!”

His inexperienced opponent became flustered, making foolish mistakes against the Commander’s well-timed attacks, and soon he was practically cowering at the edge of the sparring ring. Cullen made one final blow at the side of his neck, far harder than need be, causing the boy to slip to the floor on his side.

“What a surprise; dead again!” He spat out, leaning over the trembling mess on the ground. “Get up!”

He yanked the soldier up by his collar and thrust him into the middle of the ring again. Cullen’s chest heaved, his whole face scrunched together in rage. He stalked towards him, sword held out to the side and ready to attack. He kicked at the boy’s legs, causing him to tumble to the ground once more, and Cullen held his sword high above his head. He would show these men what it was truly like to face fear, to feel as though you were about to lose everything. How was it fair that only he should have to face this pain?

“Commander!”

Cullen’s arms halted above his head, wide, hysterical eyes staring at a furious Cassandra who stood just outside the ring. He finally took a moment to look around him as he lowered his sword. Groups of frightened troops surrounded them, some whispering to one another, and a few with looks of concern etched upon their faces. He dropped his sword to the ground with a thud.

“Perhaps you should retire to your office for the day.” Cassandra said sternly.

Cullen shook his head in disgust and disappointment in his troops as he turned to leave the sparring ring.

“Pathetic.” He muttered under his breath.

He trudged up the steps to his office, slamming the door shut behind him, and slumped down in his chair. He looked at a couple of reports before chucking them back on his desk, making any attempt to distract himself from the stinging at his eyes. His vision went blurry against his will and he brought his fingers up to press into his eyes, willing the tears to stop as a few rolled down his cheeks.

He would not cry for her again; he would not allow it. He picked up one of the many empty bottles of wine hidden behind his desk and threw it against the wall, the remaining drops staining the stone. Calloused hands scrubbed at the persistent tears and his body ached in such a way magic could never heal. He felt empty, nothing mattered anymore, not even the wellbeing of his troops, and he wondered what the point of even existing anymore was.

He was so alone.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rare pairing/OT3 - Hawken x King Alistair
> 
> This was a smut prompt I received a while ago that I've been saving because I wanted to make it into a full thing. It's super duper short as I didn't have much time to think about what I wanted to write, but it gives you an idea of where the fic is headed. The full thing will be done in the not too distant future!

“Careful, Hawke, you’re drooling.” Cullen muttered.

“I am not.” She let out a contented sigh. “I can’t help it if our King is so…”

“So what?” He turned his head to look down at her when she stayed silent. “Go on, just say it.”

“Delicious.” She said with a smirk.

Cullen clenched his jaw and turned back to face their King; what did Alistair have that he didn’t?

A gentle hand patted his arm.

“Don’t worry. You’re still the only man I want to fuck me up against a wall; something I hope you’ll treat me to later.” Cullen shook his head slightly and held back a grin. “Although it’s not like I wouldn’t mind a… _helping hand_ so to speak.”

He looked down at her with an arched brow; surely she wasn’t serious. The two of them and King Alistair? He wondered how he would even broach the subject with him and snorted at the thought.

“I’ll take that as a no then.” Hawke said, slightly deflated.

“Well I didn’t think you were being entirely serious.” Cullen folded his arms across his chest. “Besides, I’m not about to share one of my most prized possessions.”

Hawke leant up next to him, soft lips brushing against the shell of his ear.

“But imagine if you did.” She teased quietly. “Imagine letting someone use me; I’d just be a thing for you and him to do with as you pleased.”

Cullen swallowed and closed his eyes, arms falling to his sides. He knew exactly what she was doing, and Maker damn her, it was working.

“I wouldn’t do anything you didn’t want me to, but _everything_ you did.” He felt a hand cover his own by his side, fingers interlacing together. “Think of it less as sharing and more of…showing me off.”

He suddenly felt extremely hot under all his formal wear, praying no one would notice the rather prominent bulge in his trousers. He shoved Hawke’s hand from his, heading straight in Alistair’s direction; they had urgent matters that needed to be discussed.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Friendship - Cullen and Cassandra post-Adamant.
> 
> Another super short one!

Cullen leant his elbows on the wall of the battlements, closing his eyes and breathing in a deep breath. The late evening air was always so fresh and he’d found it useful to help clear his head after a long day. All days seemed to be long nowadays.

His eyes snapped open when he felt a presence beside him.

“I didn’t mean to intrude, I apologise.” Cassandra said gently.

“No, it’s quite alright.” Cullen rubbed a hand at his weary eyes. “I’m just trying to unwind after a tiring day.”

“You should be resting before our journey to the Winter Palace in the morning.”

“Rest?” He chuckled. “I can’t remember the last time I got any of that.”

“I’m sure a ballroom full of Orlesian nobles will put you to sleep soon enough.” She said smiling.

Cullen laughed, feeling relaxed for the first time since Adamant, and immediately his smile faded.

“It’s okay to smile, Cullen.” Cassandra turned to lean her hip against the wall. “You’re allowed to be happy.”

“How is that fair?” He questioned irritably. “She’s gone and I’m still here; I cannot permit myself to be okay with that. It would be as though I never - ”

“Cared?” Cullen turned to her, surprised she knew exactly what words were about to come out of his mouth. “Do not be so dramatic. Of course you care, you probably always will, but that does not mean you should shut yourself away and void yourself of all feeling; Hawke would not want this.”

“You obviously didn’t know Hawke as well as you thought.” He said, feeling a small smile pull at his lips and allowing it to show.

Cassandra laughed with him and Cullen finally began to feel at ease. Perhaps she was right; what was the point in clinging onto a lingering memory, forcing himself to be miserable, when Hawke was never coming back. He could never forget her, but maybe he could allow himself to move on.

“You’re a good friend, Cassandra. You’ve helped me far more than I deserve over these past few weeks.”

“I know how hard times like these can be.” She pushed herself off the wall. “It’ll get easier, trust me.”

Cullen nodded as she turned and left, wishing he could believe her.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cullen and family.
> 
> We finally find out Hawke's first name!

“Baby it is then.”

Cullen sighed.

“We’re not calling our daughter ‘Baby’.”

He leant up on his elbow and looked down at the tiny thing sprawled out across the bed, arms and legs flailing around. He smiled down at her, watching how her face scrunched up when Hawke placed a soft kiss against her nose.

“Well we can’t seem to think of anything else and it’s been a month.” She held a finger out and a small hand came up to wrap around it. “Plus, all the troops have taken to calling her Baby as well.”

“I know.” Cullen said irritably. “Despite my insisting that they don’t.”

He looked across to Hawke, whose eyes seemed incapable of leaving their new creation, and felt his face soften once again. She’d been adamant throughout her entire pregnancy that she’d be an awful mother but as soon as she’d held that tiny baby all swaddled up in cloth she’d become a natural.

“How about we name her after her mother?” Cullen suggested.

“Hawke?” She looked down at the baby and frowned. “She doesn’t really look like a Hawke. Besides, it would get confusing.”

Cullen smiled and shook his head.

“Not your family name; your _name_.”

Hawke finally dragged her eyes up to him only to narrow them his way.

“But you don’t know my first name.” She said slowly.

Cullen smirked and raised an eyebrow.

“Don’t I?” He looked back down at his daughter. “I was the Knight-Captain of the templars; of course I know your name.”

“You’ve never mentioned it before!” Hawke said, completely aghast.

“There’s never been any need to.” He glanced back up at her with a slight frown. “Why don’t you use your given name?”

“I just don’t.” Hawke shrugged. “My father started calling me Hawke one day and it sort of stuck. It would seem odd for anyone to call me anything else.”

“Well, since you’re not using it, how about we let this little one have it?”

Hawke looked down at her and squinted.

“Lilith.” She tested the name on her tongue.

They smiled at the happy gurgle she made and promptly began to kick her legs out.

“I think she likes it.” Cullen pressed a kiss to the top of Lilith’s head. “Yes, Lilith is a good name. I’m glad it wasn’t something horrid otherwise my plan could have turned out horribly wrong.”

Hawke’s smile froze in confusion before morphing into a small snarl.

“You lying bastard.”

Cullen chuckled quietly.

“If there wasn’t a beautiful, precious little baby between us you would be seriously regretting tricking me like that.”

He shuffled closer to Lilith, knowing she was the only thing standing in the way of a serious beating, and continued to grin at Hawke. She just huffed, refusing to let go of the little one’s hand.

“Well, you better hope she doesn’t turn out like her mother otherwise you’ll be having two Liliths kicking the shit out of you.”


End file.
